Generational Cohorts Hold the Key to Understanding Patients and Health Care Providers: Coming-of-Age Experiences Influence Health Care Behaviors for a Lifetime

Abstract

The health care landscape is ever changing. Medical groups are experiencing challenges in recruiting staff, dealing with managing effective clinical teams, and tempering the growing tensions among partnerships and medical groups. Additionally, all clinicians report many patients are now approaching them differently than in the past. They come armed with medical information from the Internet and a more questioning attitude toward the clinician's directive for care. What accounts for these behavioral changes and management challenges within health care organizations? These issues may be best understood and addressed through generational cohort analysis.

The Influence of Recommendations in Social Media on Purchase Intentions of Generations Y and Z

“…This results in generational cohorts developing distinct characteristics (Kupperschmidt, 2000), moreover, these cohorts capture not only differences in age but also differences in values (Schewe & Meredith 2004), and in attitudes and beliefs (Meriac et al, 2010). Considering that these cohort effects are lifelong effects (Berkowitz & Schewe, 2011), the theory of generations provides researchers with a broad sociocultural approach rather than an individual focus on the consumer (Pendergast, 2007).…”

Factors that lead Generation Y nurses to consider or reject nurse leader roles

“…Until recently, most of the senior administrative positions were held by the structured and traditionalist values of Veterans. Today many of those leadership positions are held by Boomers (Berkowitz & Schewe, 2011;Sherman, 2006). This general cohort is known for valuing their individuality, protesting authority, and 'living to work' (Boychuk-Duchscher & Cowin, 2004).…”

“…They value work-life balance and have grown to expect instant access to information and feedback (Berkowitz & Schewe, 2011;Smith, Malone, Agwu, & Clark, 2009). They are known as adept multi-taskers and globally aware team players (Hutchinson, Brown, & Longworth, 2012).…”

Health literacy of the baby boomer generation and the implications for nursing

“…Unlike previous generations, people of the baby boomer generation are more likely to question healthcare professionals (Berkowitz & Schewe, 2011;Noble, Schewe, & Kuhr, 2004). This behaviour has been attributed to a desire to be active participants in decisions relating to their health (Tennant et al, 2015).…”

“…This group differs economically and socially from earlier generations, and have experienced multiple revolutionary events which will influence the ways in which they age (Hugo, 2013;Winefield, O'Dwyer, & Taylor, 2016). The baby boomer generation were the first to experience gender equality, anti-war campaigns and sexual freedom (Berkowitz & Schewe, 2011). They were also the first generation to have access to the oral contraceptive, life-extending immunisations and life-saving antibiotics (Buckley et al, 2013).…”